Double Dutch – The Hypocrisy of the Dutch Government

Cannabis News Network reports on the double standards set by the Dutch government in regards to drug policy.

The Dutch State is currently being sued by Johan van Laarhoven’s lawyers, to have him released from a cruel and inhumane prison in Thailand.

Johan van Laarhoven (pictured right, in his prison cell in Bangkok Remand Prison) made his fortune as the owner of 4 coffeeshops, amongst other legitimate businesses.This has led to him being imprisoned for almost a year, in a jail in Thailand, under horrific circumstances. The Dutch State accuses him of laundering, criminal money and investing it in Thailand.

And this is where the confusion begins, the policy of the Dutch Government operates under a double standard. As the owner of a coffeeshop, you can sell weed and hash, but you cannot buy it!

The Netherlands has always been famous for its liberal approach to soft drugs and coffeeshops and they are a common sight in most cities.

The so-called “backdoor problem” is the biggest paradox of the cannabis policy: coffeeshops are allowed to sell cannabis under strict conditions, but any wholesale buying or production is strictly prohibited. For 40 years, the government has been turning a blind eye to the supply of Cannabis to the coffee shops – do they think it magically materializes, or teleports in!

Recently, a majority in the Dutch parliament voted against any change in regulating the backdoor policy. So everyone working in the cannabis industry remains an outlaw – so nothing will change.